Alcohol‐related presentations to the Royal Perth Hospital Emergency Department: A prospective study. (28th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McLay, Stuart VB; MacDonald, Ellen; Fatovich, Daniel M
• Is Part Of: Emergency medicine Australasia. Volume 29:Number 5(2017:Oct.)
• Page Start: 531
• Page End: 538
• Publication Date: 2017-08-28
• Subjects: alcohol drinking -- emergency service -- hospital -- wounds and injuries; Emergency medicine -- Periodicals; Emergency medicine -- Australasia -- Periodicals; 616.025
• DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.12837
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-6731

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: To quantify and describe alcohol‐related presentations to our ED, as part of the binational Alcohol Harm in Emergency Departments study. Methods: A prospective observational study at Royal Perth Hospital of every patient attending ED for the 168‐h period commencing 08.00 hours Monday 1 December 2014. Patient presentations were classified as alcohol‐related (alcohol‐positive) using predefined criteria. These patients were compared to alcohol‐negative patients on a range of demographic and clinical descriptors. Results: Two hundred and thirteen (15.2%) of 1403 patients screened were alcohol‐positive. Compared with alcohol‐negative patients, alcohol‐positive patients were more likely to be male (148/213, 69.5% vs 636/1190, 53.4%, P < 0.001) and younger (mean 38 years vs 48 years, P < 0.001). They were more likely to arrive in police custody (OR 3.7, 95% CI 1.3–9.5, P = 0.005), and be admitted to the State Adult Major Trauma Unit (OR 4.2, 95% CI 2.1–8.3, P < 0.001). Forty‐two (19.7%) of 213 patients had injuries suspected to be caused by an alcohol‐affected third party. The ED length of stay and admission rate were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions: 15.2% of patient presentations over the study week were alcohol‐related. These patients were more likely to present with injury; one in five having injuries suspected to be caused by a third party affected by alcohol. This is a significant public health problem.